The Chinooks baseball team gathered at the Chugiak-Eagle River Library on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. Books with Chinooks gives our community opportunity to meet the players, hear some stories and talk baseball.

Before the kids arrived, Librarian Dean Brovold asked the Chinooks players, “Have you ever read to kids before?”

What followed was an impromptu lesson by Brovold that included tips like: “Never read a book to a kid that you have not read before.”

Reading Out Loud

As the hour passed, the crowd grew. Kids of all ages occupied the room, from babies in strollers to 12 years olds. Even the adults were enjoying the reading and laughing along with the kids.

The readers enjoyed the stories as much as their audience.

“…. or is that 2 mongeese? I’m pretty sure it is 2 monggooses. Let’s vote. Raise your hand…..” Aaron Shackelford said as he read from the interactive book Count The Monkeys. A clear crowd favorite, some kids were so excited by these monkeys that they couldn’t stay in their seats and jumped around on top of them instead.

By the end of the reading the room was packed. Brovold said this was one of their biggest crowds. He estimated 74 people present.

“It’s a lot of fun… you know to watch a group of college kids to read to a bunch of little kids.”

A second “Books with the Chinooks” event is scheduled for Wednesday, July 5, 2017 at 1 pm at the Chugiak-Eagle River Library.

For more information on summer reading and other activity programs at the Chugiak-Eagle River Library: //anchoragelibrary.evanced.info/signup/Calendar

For more information on the Chinooks Baseball team, including game schedules: //www.cerchinooks.com/

Gabriella Schilling is a participant in our internship program created for high school students interested in writing and journalism.